


Restless

by MidnightsNightmares



Category: Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Child Abuse, Comfort, M/M, can someone actually beat the shit out of wylans father, jesper comforts the bae, mentions of abuse, please, there is Love blossoming between these two in the books and I am happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 23:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7242451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightsNightmares/pseuds/MidnightsNightmares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seeing his father again really bothered Wylan. Jesper comforts him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Restless

Wylan can't say seeing his father again was easy on him.

  
Rubbing at his eyes, turning on his side, he tried his best to be comfortable, but when you're shoving a body onto something so thin and hard like this godawful, not-so-plush couch, it was impossible to go to sleep. Typically he could force himself to, even after things like earlier, and he could have just gone back to his own bed, but being alone made him uneasy. He'd feel better being closer to the others, for some unexplained reason, despite the fact that merely hours ago, the idea of being back in his own space was amazing.

  
He groaned and closed his eyes, moving to lay on his back, childishly kicking the ledge of the couch once he realized that no position he laid on this thing, he wouldn't be comfortable. He felt so off, so out of place, and so disgusted with himself for some reason. The words of his father from earlier kept echoing throughout his head, but he had to know. It was the price he'd have to pay for knowing, and that was accepting the fact his own flesh and blood hated him. He somewhat wished he could mimic Kaz's behavior, and be able to pull off a cold, hardened state of mind to the point that those words wouldn't hurt him, but it was impossible.

  
He should just accept the fact he's not sleeping tonight. He's somewhat surprised any of them could be sleeping right now. He raised his hand to rub at his eyes again before sighing loudly.

  
"I can hear you kicking and groaning from the other room."

  
Wylan's heart froze in surprise, sitting up to glance around the room, mildly panicked until he saw the outline of Jesper in the hallway.

  
"Mind knocking it off, merchling? We're all kind of messed up right now, but we ain't gettin' nowhere with no sleep."

  
Wylan wanted to roll his eyes.

  
"Sorry," he finally mumbled. He waited for Jesper to move back into his room, but instead, Jesper came closer. Wylan watched as he took a seat on the ledge of the couch, somewhat confused seeing as he'd just complained about sleep until Jesper reached over to hook Wylan's neck in his arm, pulling him closer to his side with a gentle tug.

  
"You look bad." Jesper said.

  
"Kuwei isn't that ugly."

  
Jesper laughed softly. He's somewhat surprised he could manage it after all that's happened.

  
"Not what I meant. I mean, I didn't know all that stuff about your dad. He's awful."

  
Wylan tensed up upon mention of the topic. Jesper seemed to notice, but didn't comment right away. He must have known it was a sensitive topic, as Jesper realized some days how lucky he might have been to have ended up at the Barrel. It wasn't rainbows and butterflies, that was for sure, but he couldn't even began to have imagined what it was like for Wylan in that home. He just hoped Jesper didn't look down on him for the ability he lacked. Or, anyone he knew now.

  
"You don't even want to know."

  
"Did he really hit you?"

  
Jesper asked the question so nonchalantly, but Wylan found himself not capable of being angry. There was no reason to be angry. It was a fact, a memory, and something he didn't really want to remember. He closed his eyes, trying to force away the images of the first time his father had actually cornered him in his own bedroom. He was trembling, and his father was angry. He had been raising his voice, throwing insults at Wylan, and eventually he'd closed his eyes then and there, too fearful of opening them. He remembered a warm tear trailing down his cheek. He'd quietly told his father he was trying, trying so hard, but that was the trigger that set him off. 

  
"Sometimes. I'd finish up with...with a tutor, and he'd ask if they'd "gotten through to me yet". It was always the same, so I don't know what my dad was expecting, but he got so fed up with me that he'd..."

  
Wylan stopped talking. That's also when he felt the abrupt shift in mood from Jesper.

  
"How many times?"

  
Wylan blinked.

  
"Did he - hit me? I...I don't know, I didn't keep count or anything, if that's what you're - "

  
"Good. Then I get to lose count of how many bullets I put in him."

  
Wylan felt a shiver go down his spine. On one hand, it sounded almost like Jesper was offering the apology his father never bothered to give him, nor would he ever. On the other, it was also an apology directly from Jesper. Which was dumb, seeing as they'd never spoken to one another before this insane mission. He wondered what it would have been like if he had it in his ability to be able to read, to impress his father, and for his father to love him and be proud of him, but at the same time, that sounded like a life so luxurious, it would have been sinful to live.

  
Or maybe Wylan was thinking too far into this. Yes, he'd go with that one.

  
"Hey, merchling. How badly do you hate this couch?"

  
"Wish I kinda went back to my own bed after all."

  
"Kinda late for that, but instead of beating up this old gross thing all night, just come share a bed with me. Won't hurt ya, I promise."

  
Wylan felt his cheeks flush, eyes shooting up to meet Jesper's, who's were full of sincerity. A kindness that Wylan realized maybe he'd been craving for. Perhaps he'd shove the need off for a bit longer, but would take the bait anyway, standing seconds later, Jesper rising to his own feet as they both walked back in the direction Jesper had come from.   
He let the rather comfy bed consume his body, his back nearly sighing in relief when it was met with material that wouldn't have him complaining at every step tomorrow.

  
His father was a big problem, that was for sure. And Wylan knew one thing:

  
He'd look forward to losing count of those bullets too. 


End file.
